Business Operations Specialists

How to become a Cost Estimator

Official title: Cost Estimators

Also called: Acquisition Cost Estimator, Analyst, Construction Estimator, Cost Analyst, Cost Consultant, Cost Engineer, Cost Estimating Analyst, Cost Estimator, Estimating Specialist, Estimator

Prepare cost estimates for product manufacturing, construction projects, or services to aid management in bidding on or determining price of product or service. May specialize according to particular service performed or type of product manufactured.

Main tasks

Analyze blueprints and other documentation to prepare time, cost, materials, and labor estimates.
Confer with engineers, architects, owners, contractors, and subcontractors on changes and adjustments to cost estimates.
Collect historical cost data to estimate costs for current or future products.
Assess cost effectiveness of products, projects or services, tracking actual costs relative to bids as the project develops.
Consult with clients, vendors, personnel in other departments, or construction foremen to discuss and formulate estimates and resolve issues.
Establish and maintain tendering process, and conduct negotiations.
Prepare estimates for use in selecting vendors or subcontractors.
Prepare estimates used by management for purposes such as planning, organizing, and scheduling work.

How to become one

Cost estimators typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation, although workers with several years of experience in construction sometimes qualify in that industry without a degree.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Engineering degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $78,740 a year The middle half earn $61,150 to $101,850.
About 226,400 people work in this job now, and about 219,500 are projected by 2035. (-3.1%)
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Cost Estimator?

Cost estimators typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation, although workers with several years of experience in construction sometimes qualify in that industry without a degree.

How much does a Cost Estimator earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $78,740 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $61,150 to $101,850.

Is a Cost Estimator a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 3% by 2035, from about 226,400 to about 219,500 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Cost Estimator?

Not always. 39% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Engineering degrees.

Will AI change the work of a Cost Estimator?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.